All parents worry about their children, especially when they are young.
We make sure they don’t get lost, are not exposed to unnecessary dangers, and we work hard to keep from healthy and away from illness.
But some things are not obvious to the naked eye, and sadly it is possible to miss a serious risk until it’s too late.
That’s why mother Jennifer Abma is so keen on sharing the terrifying story of what happened to her daughter, Anastasia, with other parents.
Most people are already well aware of how dangerous it can be to leave a pet or child in a hot car during the summer.
Every year we hear plenty of stories of heroes who act fast and rescue children or pets from such situations.
The biggest risk of being left in a hot car is of course, heat stroke, which can be very dangerous and even fatal.
But hot cars are not the only place in which people and animals can suffer from heat strokes.
Jennifer Abma took to Facebook to share her terrifying experience with her young daughter, Anastasia.
She hopes her story will make people think twice, so that it never happens to anyone else.
Here’s what she had to say:
“THIS was my evening, this was the scariest moment I’ve had to imagine, THIS is severe heatstroke. There is nothing scarier than not being able to wake your baby up.
THIS is clear proof a child doesn’t need to be in the sun to get heat stroke. It took us 20 minutes to wake her up, when ambulance came, they came with investigators because they didn’t know what to expect as did I.”
“This was proof how fast things change.
Anastasia put herself for a nap, I had no idea how hot her bedroom was until I went to wake her up soaked in sweat, red face, boiling and unable to wake her for 15 minutes, ambulance arrived faster then I could have ever imagined and took her sugars which were 1.2 and should be above 4, they administered sucrose and in minutes she started crying clearly scared.”
“No it is not my fault this happened to her but it is hard not to blame yourself, this is a lesson learnt & hopefully other parents can take something from this & make sure you are checking the rooms in your house because they can be as dangerous as a hot car.
Still I’m shook and I can’t imagine what would have happened if I didn’t go check on her. We definitely had God on our side yesterday and I am thankful for emergency services and Jay who came as fast as possible to keep me together.”
Thank goodness that everything ended well for Jennifer and Anastasia, but it’s crucial to be aware of this kind of situation and the dangers of heat stroke, especially now that summer is here.
Symptoms of heat stroke:
Headaches
Nausea and vomiting
Visual disturbances
Dizziness, irritation and confusion
Fast pulse
Reddish, dry skin
Here’s what to do in case of heat stroke:
It’s important that someone suffering from a heat stroke immediately receive care. Bring you or the kids to a cool place, right away. Cool the body down with a wet towel, for instance.
Make sure to get to a hospital to get nutrition and salts directly into the blood, in the form of drip.
Did you know that bedrooms can potentially be as dangerous as hot cars?
Please do share this article on Facebook to raise awareness of heat strokes. You can help save a life!